Korean Expat Community for National Disasters

Hello everyone, and welcome to the November episode. Today, I want to talk about something that’s becoming a big issue right now the flu. It feels like everywhere I go, someone is coughing or saying they’re sick. And there’s a reason for that. This year’s flu season started much earlier than usual. In fact, in November alone, more than 50 out of every 1,000 patients nationwide showed flu like symptoms. That’s more than double the number from the previous week. And what’s especially worrying is that the rise is the biggest among children and teenagers. For kids aged 7 to 12, over 130 out of 1,000 showed flu symptoms. So places like schools and academies are seeing really fast transmission. Experts are saying that this could be one of the earliest and strongest flu seasons we’ve seen in years. So this is exactly the time to pay attention. Let’s talk briefly about why the flu is spreading so quickly this year. First, people are moving around a lot more and having more close contact. Second, younger kids who naturally have weaker immunity are catching it and spreading it fast. And finally, the temperature swings we’re experiencing make respiratory infections even easier to catch. So what can we do? The biggest thing is still getting a flu shot. If you haven’t gotten one yet, doing it sooner rather than later really matters especially because it takes about two weeks for immunity to build. And of course, the basics still help a lot. washing your hands well, covering your coughs, and wearing a mask if you’re going to be in a crowded or poorly ventilated place. Also, if you start feeling sick, please don’t push through it. A regular cold and the flu can feel similar at first, but the flu can lead to complications so giving your body time to rest is really important. That was a quick look at the flu situation this November. Cases are rising pretty quickly right now, so I hope all of you stay warm, stay healthy, and take good care of yourselves as winter approaches. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you again in the next episode.